Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Not long after, He Feng hurried back to the Public Security Bureau with brisk steps. As soon as he opened the office door, he saw Zheng Qiang being held in the corner by two police officers with his arms handcuffed behind his back. His police uniform was wrinkled, and his usually straight spine was now bent, as if all the strength had been drained away.

He Feng's face flushed crimson instantly, his eyes brimming with unbelievable anger. His voice trembled, "Brother Zheng! I really didn't expect it to be you!" He took two steps forward, staring intently at Zheng Qiang, his chest heaving violently. "We've worked together for so many years, ever since I joined the bureau as a youngster. You've taught me everything, how to investigate cases, how to behave... Why would you do this? Just for those shady interests?"

Zheng Qiang slowly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes looking at He Feng. His expression was as complicated as a tangled mess, filled with resentment, pain, and a bit of futile defense. "This... this is your plan! It's a trap!" His Adam's apple rolled twice, his voice hoarse. "But Scar really does have weapons, a large amount of smuggled munitions. I'm telling the truth! I'm not lying to you!"

He Feng looked at him, his tone heavy as if weighed down by a rock. "Brother Zheng, we've busted Scar's lair and seized all the weapons. The list is on my desk." He paused, disappointment in his eyes. "How long do you think you can keep your little trick secret? From the moment you secretly tipped off Scar and colluded with him, you should have known this would happen. We've checked out all those transfer records and encrypted calls."

Zheng Qiang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found all his excuses were pale and powerless. In the end, he simply lowered his head dejectedly, his shoulders slumping slightly. The light from the corridor shone through the window, a pale white, and fell on his face, reflecting only endless regret and deep despair.

He Feng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the excitement in his eyes had subsided a little. He looked at Zhang Shi beside him and said in a deep voice, "Alright, go find someone to call Zhao Lei and the others back from Scar's place. This matter is settled."

Zhang Shi nodded. He understood what He Feng meant. What followed was a conversation between them, old brothers. After all, they had been together for so many years, and even at this point, there were still some unfinished business to settle.

He Feng looked at the two police officers guarding Zheng Qiang and waved his hand: "You should go out too. Guard the door and don't let anyone in."

"Yes, Chief." The two police officers responded and left, gently closing the door. In an instant, only He Feng and Zheng Qiang were left in the office, and the air seemed to freeze.

He Feng pulled a chair over and sat down in front of Zheng Qiang, looking at him gravely: "Tell me what happened. Tell me everything from the beginning."

Zheng Qiang raised his head, a trace of struggle flashed in his eyes, and asked in a low voice: "Director, at this point, do you still believe me?"

He Feng's heart felt like it was being stabbed by a needle, and his face showed an indescribable discomfort. "Brother Zheng, since the day I came to the Public Security Bureau, you have been my most respected senior, and I have always trusted you. But look at what you are doing now - you are actually going to attack your own comrades. If Zhang Shi and the others hadn't been alert, Li Jie and the others would have already..." He couldn't continue, his tone full of heartache, "What on earth are you going to do?"

Zheng Qiang's lips trembled. He wanted to tell everyone that there were villains hiding in the Public Security Bureau and that they were threatening him with his family's lives, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back - he didn't dare to gamble. What if those people really harmed his wife and children?

He was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke, his voice hoarse with fatigue: "Let me tell you a story. After listening to it... maybe you will understand."

He Feng felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe. He looked at Zheng Qiang, his long-time colleague, usually easygoing, but now with his eyes downcast, his face etched with dejection. He simply couldn't believe that Zheng Qiang had colluded with the reactionaries. The cold evidence pierced his heart like needles, yet years of working together made it hard for him to fully accept it.

Zheng Qiang raised his head, his voice a little hoarse, as if squeezed out from the depths of his throat: "Director, you may not know, my family has been poor since I was a child, so poor that we couldn't even afford a full meal. When I was ten years old, I was still digging wild vegetables in the fields when I was forced to serve in the army. In the army, I was young and a country boy, so anyone could bully me. Being beaten and scolded was commonplace."

He paused, his eyes drifting off into the distance, as if lost in those unbearable memories. "Later, I was selected for the special training team. That place, to put it bluntly, is for training death squads. The daily training was grueling, and the missions were life-threatening. But I was tough, and I crawled back from the brink of death time and time again. The calluses on my hands grew layer after layer, and my wounds healed only to be renewed."

"I fought the Japanese pirates with real weapons and killed many of them. The scar on my body that runs from shoulder to waist is from that time." Zheng Qiang raised his hand and touched his waist, as if touching that glorious and cruel past. "After the battle, I watched the people around me fall one after another. I suddenly felt tired. I didn't want to fight the civil war anymore. I just wanted to find a place to live a stable life. But I was in too deep. My hands were stained not only with the blood of the Japanese pirates, but also... my own people. At that time, I was already the leader of the team. How could I get out so easily?"

At this point, his voice trailed off, carrying an unspeakable heaviness. "Later, I was seriously injured during a mission, and the doctor said I'd never be able to have children. From then on, all I wanted was to be with my wife and children and live out the rest of my days in peace. But fate was cruel. On a secret mission I participated in, everyone on the team died inexplicably, yet I still had the records from that mission—and in them, there was evidence that I had murdered one of my own people."

He Feng frowned, his tone filled with confusion and heartache: "Since you have long wanted to break away from them and cut off contact with those people, why did you do such an outrageous thing? Don't you understand the current situation? Have you ever thought about the consequences of doing this? What will happen to your family?"

Zheng Qiang gave a bitter laugh, his eyes filled with despair. "Director, I also want to cut ties cleanly. But those people are not completely dead, and there are still people above me watching me. They know I have the records, and they know I have their own leverage. What can I do? As long as the evidence is exposed, they will not let me go first. My death will be a small matter, and my family... they will not let me go either. I have been forced into a desperate situation."